This Winter’s Women’s Fiction Blog Tours by HQN all introduced books by authors I enjoy. I read all four of them and they were all well written stories about families. If you enjoy reading about families who have secrets and/or grudges and are in need of healing or reconciliation, I recommend you pick up any of these books. Scroll down for my thoughts and an excerpt for A Family Affair by Robyn Carr.

A FAMILY AFFAIR by Robyn Carr, Thérèse Plummer (Narrator)

Published April 5, 2022 by MIRA

About the Book: An exceptional storyteller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr beautifully captures the emotionally charged, complex dynamics that come with being part of any family. Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as they discover what it means to be loved, supported and accepted by the people who mean the most.

When a woman notices a young pregant woman attending her husband’s funeral she realizes his mid-life crisis went far beyond his weekend warrior lifestyle. But Carr’s story of a family dealing with their grief is full of surprises and as everyone examines their own beliefs and behavior, they become closer than they ever thought possible. Carr tackles the serious issues women face with humor and heart.

A Family Affair begins with a celebration of the life of Chad McNichol, a man who recently died on a rafting trip. The story is not so much about Chad, but his family; wife, Anna and children, Jessie, Mike and Bess. Chad was not a perfect man, in fact he had been unfaithful to Anna and there were issues to deal with when he left on his trip, but he died before he and Anna talked about them. With Chad gone, the problems in their children’s lives become apparent and must be dealt with. Anna realizes that for once, she doesn’t have the answers. Her kids are struggling with grief, her mother’s health is in decline, and Anna needs closure. Leaning on Joe, Chad’s best friend, she finds support, and as she puts her life back together, she realizes her family may not be perfect, but they’ll always be family.

This is a story of secrets, mental and physical health, aging, betrayal, family and healing. All the members of the McNichol family are dealing with something that is affecting their lives. Much of it related to trying to be perfect and worrying about making mistakes. This is a quick read/listen and I thought Robyn Carr did a good job handling the difficult issues. This family goes through so much, not only the sudden death of their husband/father, but the secrets they discover after his death. There were times that I liked, and times that I disliked Jessie and Mike. They acted like spoiled children, but I was glad to see that counselling was utilized and promoted when dealing with emotions and behaviour. I was interested to see how they grew and healed as individuals and as a family. Saying all that, there was just too much dysfunction for me to love this one, but that is a personal opinion. Thérèse Plummer, a performer I very much enjoy, narrates this audiobook with her wonderful voices, expression and tone. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

Buy Links: BookShop.org – Harlequin – Barnes & Noble – Amazon – Books-A-Million – Powell’s

Excerpt from A Family Affair

About the Author: Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends, The Summer That Made Us and The View from Alameda Island, as well as the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Social Media: Author Website – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram – Goodreads